Episode 55

Oliver paused, his resolve wavering under their collective instruction. Reluctantly, he stepped aside, allowing Elizabeth to leave as Elijah's grim nod dictated.

"Sis, did something happen between you and your husband? Did I just hear you mention a divorce?" Elizabeth had begun to walk away when Yara, her half-sister, appeared seemingly out of nowhere, her eyes alight with an unsettling smirk.

Eager to create drama, Yara reached out to link arms with Elizabeth. It was clear she'd overheard the heated exchange between Elizabeth and Elijah, though she likely missed the nuances of their argument. Elizabeth instinctively pulled away, her expression one of clear distaste. Unperturbed, Yara's eyes followed the departing Rolls-Royce.

"Your husband sure has a way of treating you like you're invisible, doesn't he? Just dumped you on the curb. Need a ride?" Yara, a year younger than Elizabeth, remarked.

Their father, Oliver, had struck it rich in a business venture when Elizabeth was five. His first act upon acquiring wealth was to abandon his wife for a mistress. Broken by Oliver's betrayal, Elizabeth's mother, Sandra Moran, succumbed to depression and took her own life. Elizabeth, the true heiress of the Elizabeth family, was sent to live with her grandmother, Gracie Moran.

In their family's complicated emotional landscape, Yara positioned herself as Elizabeth's adversary. Despite the family wealth amassed through Sandra's efforts, Elizabeth reaped no benefits and struggled to cover even Gracie's medical expenses. This hardship had driven her into a marriage of convenience with Elijah, a union flawed from its inception.

"Oh, so everyone's family all of a sudden? Let me remind you, my mother had only one daughter, and that's me," Elizabeth stated icily before walking away.

"What are you so smug about, Elizabeth?" Yara pressed, refusing to yield. Abandoning her thin veneer of civility, she scoffed disdainfully. "Even distant relatives in the James family throw lavish weddings, eager to broadcast their joy. Yet here you are, married to the James family patriarch, with nothing but a marriage certificate to show for it. Meanwhile, netizens rave about Sandra, Elijah's true love, as if you, the so-called Mrs. James, don't exist."

Elizabeth stopped, the sting of Yara's words arresting her retreat. She couldn't deny their truth. Her union with Elijah had been a business arrangement, never intended for public view.